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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919873">Interwoven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDLynn/pseuds/HDLynn'>HDLynn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Found Family Elements, Pining, Yearning, cloak sharing, cloak sharing is a Mando love language, dad!din, mutual pining idiots, soft!Din</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:01:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDLynn/pseuds/HDLynn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Several small moments lead up to Mando sharing something very special with you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Din Djarin &amp; Grogu | Baby Yoda &amp; Reader, Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>265</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Interwoven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You never truly understood why Mando always liked to park his ship so far away from the small rural villages your little group had taken to restocking in. He had been avoiding any larger towns or cities for the time being after a rather unfortunate incident when you had been alone with the kid in the last hanger the Razor Crest had been parked in. Mando had been working on a job when the rival bounty hunter had tried to take you and the kid.</p><p>Thankfully, you’d been able to get onto the ship and pull up the ground security protocols like Mando had shown you how to do and comm Mando to alert him of the situation. He had been absolutely livid when he had returned and taken care of the issue, but not angry with you. No, you had seen him take a moment his fists clenching and clenching slowly before he even turned to you and the kid.</p><p>At that moment you had known he was collecting himself so he didn’t lash out and that little moment had solidified how you saw your employer. That he might be rather terrifying in some respects, but he always did his best to keep control over himself, his anger.</p><p>But that had led to Mando being rather… well extra vigilant the past several planets. He didn’t stop you from going on market trips, but if he could accompany you, he did so like today.</p><p>He had insisted that the grey sky would hold out until you all returned to the ship… but even your Mandalorian wasn’t in control of the weather. So when the winds had shifted and the sky darkened you both had hurried to finish paying for some of the cheap fresh produce you wanted to make into supper tonight in the tiny galley kitchen on the Crest.</p><p>It hadn’t been quick enough though as you followed Mando back to the ship, the purchases — all contained in the bag he sometimes carried the child in — has slung over one of his broad shoulders. Even as your face warmed at the unbidden thought of the wide expanse of Mando’s shoulders and back, fat raindrops started to fall down. The first few made little, dark craters in the dusty pathway as the winds picked up again cold and stiff.</p><p>Glancing up to Mando, whose legs were eating up the terrain of the path at an amazing speed, even laden with the supplies that had been purchased. He seemed to be going alright, though you could only assume the rain was starting to soak into his cloak and his clothes beneath as the path quickly turned from still a bit dusty to a flattened wetness.</p><p>Holding the kid in one arm, you popped the collar of your coat up to try and stop the elements from being funneled right down your back. It helped marginally, but you worried for the little one as the rain started to pick up. You kept walking, eyes turned to the path so you didn’t trip on any wayward roots or stones. You did your best to keep up with the Mandalorian as you resituated the kid inside your jacket and zipped it up around you both.</p><p>The baby’s little claws burrowed into the fabric of your shirt as he mumbled some disgruntled baby talk about the cold rain before pressing his face into your chest, his breath warm there.</p><p>Shifting him again when it felt like he was slipping in your gasp, you almost walked right into Mando.</p><p>He turned with a speed that always surprised you, one of his gloved hands shot out to grasp your shoulder to keep you both from colliding. You froze at the touch, feeling Mando’s hand flexing on your shoulder. His hold was solid and grounding. Yet, somehow you knew if you moved at all in a way the showed you didn’t want him touching you anymore Mando would immediately remove his hand from you.</p><p>Squinting at the silver of his helmet and the black of his visor, your eyelashes heavy with the rain, you couldn’t help but notice how the water was beading up on the beskar. The droplets gathered together, growing larger until they became too heavy and went streaking down to drop off the sharp edges. It reminded you of days you had watched the water bead up on the window glass of your childhood home when you had been able to spend time picking which raindrop would win the race in their downward travel.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” you asked, watching in confusion as Mando dropped his hand from you to fiddle with his cloak.</p><p>The armored man grunted as he finally got the fabric bunched and draped around his neck off.</p><p>“You were right,” he said, his hands easily settling the cloak around you. The weight of it was heavy on your head and shoulders and you stood in wide-eyed shock as Mando made sure the cloak covered both you and the baby.</p><p>“I? What?” you asked, completely distracted by Mando’s protective actions to know what he was talking about.</p><p>The helmet tilted to the side for a moment, you knew he was examining you from behind the visor.</p><p>“The rain,” he finally said. “You were right, the storm came quicker then I thought it would.”</p><p>With that explanation Mando turned back to the trail and trudged towards the Razor Crest, pausing after a few feet to make sure you were following.</p><p>You stood rooted to the ground before his helmet started to tilt at an angle you now knew from months of experience meant he was either examining you or amused by you. Perhaps it was a bit both this time considering you were just standing there in the rain probably looking absolutely gobsmacked.</p><p>The weight of the cloak settled over you, strange yet somehow… comforting. The fabric was not, in fact, soaked like you had figured it would be. Even in this rain, the felted wool did its best to let the water bead up and roll off. You were not sure if that was a natural property of the fibers or if it had been treated with some sort of hydrophobic treatment to waterproof it. But the effect was that you were suddenly very warm and much drier than you would have been otherwise.</p><p>Somehow your feet caught up with the need to continue on before your brain had and you both continued onwards. It couldn’t be that much further back to the ship. But it still gave you plenty of time to start wondering how much of the warmth you felt flooding your cheeks and spreading down your chest was caused by the cloak or the cloak’s owner. Thankfully the baby tiredly cooing at your chest was a welcome distraction from that particular question.</p><p>~*~</p><p>After returning to the ship, rainstorm still raging outside, Mando had hidden in the cockpit and his little quarters in turn. You had tried to not take it personally, after all, you had wanted to peel off the soggy clothes you had been wearing and take a hot shower after you made sure the kid was warm and dry.</p><p>The kid was still being toweled off, his giggles muffled as you playfully hid him under the towel and playing peekaboo with him, when Mando half-climbed and half-slid down the ladder.</p><p>“I’m going out, the contact got back to me,” he explained as he pulled out his pulse rifle from his little armory. He checked the sights and the chamber to make sure it was clear before swinging it onto his back with practiced ease. Already moving to the control panel on the side of the ship.<br/>“Make sure to-“</p><p>“Turn on the ground security protocols,” you archly finished for him. Gathering the kid into your arms, you let him wave goodbye to his protector — though you saw Mando truly being more the child’s father than merely a protector.</p><p>“No worries, I’ve got it, Mando.”</p><p>There was a soft snort that came through his modulator, the sort of sound you were rather sure was Mando chuckling rather than his more familiar heavy sighs. He made you blink as he stepped back in close to you again, a gloved hand carefully caressing the top of the baby’s head that was poking out from the fluffy bundle of towel you held him in. The child babbled up at Mando, giving the armorer man giggling raspberry when the gloved hand gave one large ear a playful tug.</p><p>The raspberry did cause the helmet to tilt back to your face, and you felt your face heat at the invisible gaze, but you just grinned puckishly at Mando. Someone had to teach the kid such things, didn’t they? Might as well have been you.</p><p>“I know you do,” he responded before speaking to the kid in his people’s language. The words were familiar to you even if you didn’t know their meaning. Mando had been telling the kid the same thing when he left for some time now, “Cuyir jate par cuun cabur'ika, ad’ika.”</p><p>With that, your employer stepped away again. A gloved finger pressed the button to open the side bay door and the gentle hiss of the hydraulic systems filled the air before that too was drowned out by the rain.</p><p>“Your cloak,” you called out as the fall chill the storm had swept into the ship. Mando paused to look at you before responding.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, I won’t melt.”</p><p>You gaped at Mando for a moment before turning bemused. He didn’t joke much, but when he did it always took you aback.</p><p>“You better not!” you called after him.</p><p>Your heart fluttered when you saw him raise his hand in a farewell over his shoulder. You were grateful he never seemed to look back whenever he did that, for you were not sure you wanted Mando to see what was written on your face.</p><p>The child chirped in your arms, drawing your attention to his worried face.</p><p>“You heard him kiddo, he’ll be fine. You weren’t sure if you were reassuring yourself or the kid, but at that moment it didn’t really matter since you both sometimes needed that when Mando went out to do his job.</p><p>The rest of the evening was spent as you normally did while Mando was out. The kid had plenty of energy and you had laid out a blanket on the floor along with the small collection of toys he had been recently acquiring. There was the silver ball, of course, he’d had that when you had started watching over him. There was a bright yellow stuffed star that was a newer addition, Mando having brought it back that last time he had</p><p>But there was also a handmade little stuffed doll that you were rather sure that Mando had made, it was made of grey-blue fabric like his capes. It was shaped vaguely like the kid, a round head with large ears sat on a soft but lumpy body and it originally had two eyes and a crooked smile drew onto its face.</p><p>Recently the kid had gotten ahold of the markers you kept for supervised craft time and drawn a surprisingly good attempt at the striking “T” that clearly was meant to be just like his papa’s helmet. You had let the kid show the Mandalorian that particular artistic endeavor, the way he had thoughtfully examined the toy before turning to the tiny child and telling him he had done a really good job had made your heart catch in your throat.</p><p>While the kid was distracted you took a super-fast shower and changed into dry clothes, and also got a head start on supper. You knew the kiddo was going to be ravenous when he was done with his toys.</p><p>You decided a nice hearty soup would be good for today’s gross weather, nice and warm and comforting to hold in the bowl and also to sit in your bellies. It would be easy enough to set aside some for Mando to eat if he got back later tonight. It was sometimes hard to tell how long that man would be gone for, but you always liked to have something set aside for him just in case.</p><p>The soup was just starting to really come together when you heard your tiny green charge making the cute sleepy snuffling sounds. Turning you found him looking pitiful, laying sprawled out on the blanket, one of the fuzzy star’s points being chewed on. After making sure the soup wouldn’t boil over in your absence you retrieved the child, his thin arms begging to be picked up after making sure to show you the slobber covered toy.</p><p>Humming slightly you kept him close as you finished dinner. This pattern had become familiar with you both as he clung to you.</p><p>Tiny clawed hands gently patting at your clothing and then you face until you pressed a loud kiss to the downy hairs on the top of his head.</p><p>“You ready to eat, sweetheart?” You asked as you filled up his favorite little bowl.</p><p>The little green monster cooed happily, a hand making grabby motions at the bowl until you sat him down and gave it to him.</p><p>The amount of food this kid could put away in one sitting was equal parts impressive and terrifying. Though, if you were, to be honest, three bowls of soup were nothing compared to some of the things he had deemed fit to be considered “food” before downing it before you or Mando could stop him. Several small critters had met their untimely end that way.</p><p>The kid had gone down quickly, the warmth of the ship and the excitement of being out and about having made him yawn and rub at his large eyes in such a cute way. Just a couple bedtime stories and a song or two was all it took to have his eyes finally close, one thin arm holding onto his favorite lumpy homemade toy.</p><p>The next few hours were spent with you handling the small compact clothing washer and then switching it over to the drying setting. As you started to fold dry clothing, a tear mid-way up the cloak caught your eye.</p><p>It was long and had started to unravel at the edges but even so, you could tell it was from a knife, perhaps a vibroblade. Shuddering at the size of the cut, relief flooded you cause if that slash had hit Mando? You were rather sure he would’ve needed help sewing up his side if the knife had cut true… at least you hoped he would’ve let you help. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that he would have just taken care of it by himself if he thought he could get away with it.</p><p>Sighing, you finished with the rest of the clothing before gathering the cloak into your arms.</p><p>On closer inspection, it was clear that Mando was used to making his own repairs on his clothes once you knew what to look for. A few patches were there in a fabric that was a similar enough color that you hadn’t noticed, and also some areas where he had re-hemmed bits. The stitches were neater and more careful than you would have assumed, but you paused. No, you supposed it wasn’t truly odd.</p><p>From what you had gathered about Mandalorians, in general, was that they had little use for the gender roles you had grown up with. It made sense that even their warriors -- or their bounty hunters -- would have as many life skills as possible and it made sense that basic mending skills to be part of that.</p><p>Pulling out the small repair kit Mando had shown you when you first started working for him, you sorted through the supplies. Sorting through the threads and packets of needles, you grinned when you found something that would be perfect for this. There was a packet of dark grey wool roving, a felting pad, and felting needles. Your grandmother had shown you how to make repairs with needling felting and this would be the perfect time to make use of that skill.</p><p>Setting up in the cockpit, you watched the now dark sky above you, rain hitting the transparasteel. It was too thick and solid a material for you to hear the sound of the rain, but you pretended you could as you slowly layered and felted the long woolen fibers on first one side and then the other of the cloak. Building up the wispy fibers until the patch was sturdy enough to pass your inspection.</p><p>The patch was a bit more of a plain grey than the rest of the cloak, the original fabric having a slightly blue or even purplish cast to the shade. But the spot would only be noticeable close-up and you reasoned that most people that close to Mando were generally more distracted by his presence as a bounty hunter to notice the same things you did.</p><p>The sound of the baby fussing broke you from your reverie. You quickly folded the cloak up and set it on Din’s chair where he was sure to find it when he got back.</p><p>It didn’t take long for you to make your way over to the silver bassinet, pressing the button to open it up before the kid could start working himself up into a true crying session.</p><p>Large brown and glossy wet eyes stared up at you for a moment before his little green claws were being raised in supplication.</p><p>“I know, I know, baby,” you said as you easily picked him up. Keeping your tone warm and soothing as you wrapped him in the soft blankie Mando had gotten the kid, you spoke to him as if he could perfectly understand you. It was hard to tell with young ones, with how much they understood, but he had always been special. You liked to think he would understand. “It’s hard when your dad is away isn’t it?”</p><p>He whined, burying his wrinkly face into the warmth of your neck as you sat in your chair in the cockpit.</p><p>Cradling the child, you held him close, rocking him softly back and forth as you continued talking to him.</p><p>“You know he loves you a lot right? I know it’s hard having him away, but your dad will always do his best to take care of you, to come back to you.”</p><p>Something deep in your belly twisted at the words, and it took you a moment to figure out what it was before pushing it away. It wasn’t your place to wish that Mando would also be coming back to you. You didn’t have any right to wishing for more from Mando, he was your boss and a professional and honorable man. Yet, here you were, sinking into the warm waters of affection for the Mandalorian, waters you couldn’t see the bottom of.</p><p>You continued on distracting yourself and the child. Telling stories you had heard as a youngster for a while before resorting to just humming little bits and pieces of half-forgotten songs that were much older than you. Slowly the claws in your clothing eased in their death grip, the kid’s breathing evening out and his head rested heavily on your chest.</p><p>Trailing a hand over his soft cheek, you felt your heart bloom with an affection you knew was much more than you should let yourself feel. For the kid and his father. But you couldn’t help it, didn’t want to help it.</p><p>Rubbing soft circles into the kid’s back, you closed your eyes. It would just be for a moment — you told yourself. Just one moment to rest your eyes as your head grew heavy, then you would get the kid back to bed.</p><p>~*~</p><p>Din punched the button on his vambrace to open up the Crest’s hold. It was late and dark and he was tired and wet and hungry. The contact had been partly helpful, the information was slightly sketchy, but it should take him to where this current bounty was hiding so he was glad he had gone out when he did. It just didn’t change the fact that he was feeling a bit miserable.</p><p>He knocked as much of the mud as he could from his boots as he got onto the ship, but he knew it was a losing battle and that he would just end up needing to clean it up later. But right now? Right now he wanted to get some hot food in his belly.</p><p>There was a little piece of flimsy that was tucked into the door of the fridge. The sight made him smile unbidden. Din knew without reading the note that you had made sure to pack up leftovers for when he got back.</p><p>He reached out a gloved hand to take the little note and look over the words, a little hastily written but in your hand nonetheless. You gave a few little instructions on how best to reheat the soup and he followed them before tucking the note into his one pocket for now as he took the soup container from the fridge and started reheating it in the nanowave.</p><p>While that heated up he could get the ship set on course for the planet the bounty should be on.</p><p>Climbing up the ladder, Din found himself surprised to find the cockpit occupied.</p><p>The sight of you completely asleep, your head slumped over as you cradled a quietly snoring kid to you, made Din’s chest tighten and warm despite the chill that had been in his bones.</p><p>Maker, you both look so soft and warm and safe here on the ship. The kid completely relaxed and contently sleeping in your embrace.</p><p>Even still, Din knew he had to wake you so you could go get some sleep in a position that wouldn’t have your neck screaming at you when you got up.<br/>He placed a careful hand on your shoulder, shaking you lightly as he quietly spoke your name.</p><p>You stirred slightly and then jerked partially awake, blinking bleary eyes up at him before a huge sleepy smile spread over your face.</p><p>“You’re back,” you said before a yawn overtook anything else you might have said.</p><p>“Come on, cyare,” Din said, his one hand out to make sure you were steady even in your half-awake state as you got up. “Let’s get you both to an actual bed.” It wasn’t until his whole thought had been verbalized that he realized what he had said, and was suddenly grateful that you wouldn’t know the meaning of that one word.</p><p>You squinted in confusion, the look causing Din to panic for a moment. How was he going to explain what ‘cyare’ meant to you? Maker take him now he wasn’t ready for this. Was he?</p><p>But you surprised him, just as you somehow always did.</p><p>“Not sure the cots on this ship count as real beds, Mando,” you slurred slightly, so tired and half awake you sounded almost drunk.</p><p>Din let out a breathy chuckle, relieved to not have to deal with something so foreign as his own feelings just yet. Much like how he didn’t question why he had a whole stash of every single note you had written him on tiny pieces of flimsy that would be getting a new addition tonight.</p><p>“Come on,” he just prompted and you acquiesced with a happy hum, letting him take care of the kid as you crawled into your own cot.</p><p>You were back to sleep before he had even finished tucking the kid in. Your breathing deep and even as Din couldn’t help but watch for a moment longer before returning to the cockpit. You looked so soft, your limbs sprawled out in an unstudied and relaxed repose. He had noticed it for some while now but you almost always looked like that here on the ship, both around the kid and also… him.</p><p>Leaving you to rest Din got back to the cockpit shortly and was just about to sit down in the pilot’s chair when he noticed his carefully folded up cloak.</p><p>Picking it up Din immediately saw it was clean and dry which made him smile, you always had a habit of doing such thoughtful small things that he didn’t at all consider to be part of your job. You were here to help him take care of the kid and yet he found you often taking care of him in small ways.</p><p>It was then he noticed that something was different about the cloak. Namely, what wasn’t the same about it when he had placed it over you.</p><p>Din ran a gloved hand over the old spot where there had been a nasty long tear. It had happened a few weeks ago now, he just hadn’t had the time or energy to repair it, yet here it was now fully repaired and whole again. You hadn’t even just sewn the edges together like he probably would have done. You had literally felted a patch into the fabric until the patch and the cloak had become one and stronger for it.</p><p>After setting the new course, Din took the cloak and went to his own little sleeping space. He pressed a spot on the wall that slid out a small metal compartment. At one time it might have been used by a previous owner to hide personal things as well or perhaps it had been a safe place to hide contraband.</p><p>Din had taken to keeping a growing collection of things inside it. A rock the kid had taken a liking to and had gifted him some weeks ago. It was a smooth and very round rock, but otherwise unremarkable. But Din couldn’t get rid of it. Then there were the drawings the kid had drawn, including the very first one that had shown a rather messy looking, but very recognizable, rendition of three familiar figures. The tiny green and brown blob, a black and grey figure with an unreasonably sized blaster in hand, and then what could only be described as you. The kid had even included your smile, which Din had thought made sense.</p><p>Behind those drawings though was numerous pieces of flimsy, all different sizes and some in different colors. But they all had little notes written in your hand, some were very silly things to keep like supplies lists, or a note to warn him that the refresher drain was acting up again.</p><p>Din took the newest one from his pocket and added it to the others, a sense of fullness and warmth filling his stomach.</p><p>~*~</p><p>You didn’t really remember how you got back into your bunk the previous night. You seemed to remember that Mando had come back sometime? And he had made you get up? But past that, you didn’t remember even leaving the cockpit.</p><p>The kid had been well-rested though and ready to go shortly after you had finished some morning stretches to limber up your neck, the short stint sleeping in that chair had not been great on your muscles but you were sure it would have been worse if Mando hadn’t made you go to bed.</p><p>Currently, you were sitting on the floor, some flimsy and markers spread out around you and the kid as you watched him drawing nonsensical lines and shapes. It was funny to watch how he picked out the colors he wanted to use. One tiny claw tapping gently at the different shades until he made up his mind and he would show off the chosen color to you for your approval.</p><p>While you watched the kid, making sure he didn’t start drawing on himself or his clothes, again, Mando had come down and started cleaning the weapons he had been using most recently.</p><p>It was the normal setup, you playing with the kid to help make sure Mando could get his work done. He even got the perk of being often able to play with the kid as well once he got finished up. Those moments of seeing the big and intimidating Mandalorian bounty hunter chuckling quietly at the kiddo’s antics, smoothing a hand over those large ears as tiny clawed hands and feet clambered all over him, or how he always let the kid feel heard when he babbled over the things babies and toddlers talked about.</p><p>You couldn’t help but keep glancing up as Mando started with one weapon and then working on the next. The confident way he moved, the practiced and casual manner that he broke down each and every blaster.</p><p>It was clear he was well versed with each and every single weapon in his arsenal and every single component of those weapons as well. There was an assurance to his movements, the perfect mixture of self-possession and proficiency that had you wonder what else those hands, those fingers, could do. The slip into such thoughts made you shiver slightly as warmth filled your belly as you turned back to the kid. You were supposed to be paying attention to him, not lusting over the child’s father.</p><p>“You’re cold,” Mando’s gravelly tone made you look back at him surprised that he had noticed the small movement.</p><p>“What? No,” you grimaced at the correction, that was dumb what were you going to tell him? No, Mando, I’m not cold I just happen to have a raging crush on you so that even seeing you disassemble and reassemble blasters is just insanely attractive to me? Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. “I mean, maybe a bit,” you equivocated, your face turning warm despite yourself.</p><p>Mando grunted as he got up and came over to where you were rolling the ball back and forth with the kid. He unclipped his cape and had it settled over your shoulders again before you could protest.</p><p>“Mando, I don’t need to take your cape,” you say even as your one hand burrowed into the thick fabric.</p><p>The texture was still a bit rough, and your fingers lingering over the new patch for a moment, but it was warm and you couldn’t help but notice how it smelled like him. It was almost bitingly fresh from the laundry soap he used. With how fastidiously Mando took care of his clothing and armor after a hunt, there was usually a warm lingering scent about him that reminded you of evergreen trees paired with leather and ozone. But there was also a deeper smell underneath of spice and loamy earth, it was a combination you knew just as, well, Mando’s.</p><p>“I want you to have it,” he said in a rush before he took a big breath he had taken made him stand up straighter.</p><p>You had to snap your eyes back to his helmet from watching how he shifted his weight to his one leg, a thumb hooking into his belt like he sometimes did. The man was too damn attractive when you hadn’t even seen his face, how was this fair?</p><p>“Thank you Mando, but I don’t want to keep your cloak,” you refused politely. “You need it for when you’re out, I can get a blanket the next time I get cold.”</p><p><br/>The silver ball floated back over to you this time and you plucked it from the air as you continued to look at your bounty hunter, your brows knit in question as he sat down beside you on the floor.</p><p>“No, that’s not…” Mando stumbled over his words slightly. He shook his head, cursing under his breath in what you had come to assume was the Mandalorian language. “I want you to know my name.”</p><p>The ball slipped from your fingertips, striking the floor of the ship before rolling away. The child, thinking it was part of the game, shrieked with laughter and chased after it as it began to roll away.</p><p>You were just staring at him, why couldn’t you speak? He wanted to share his name with you marker dammit, think of something to say!</p><p>“Oh,” you respond dumbly before grimacing, that was eloquent.</p><p>The lackluster response seemed to make Mando deflate a bit and you both tried to speak at the same time.</p><p>“If you don’t want-”</p><p>“I’d really like-”</p><p>You rubbed your chin sheepishly as Din chuckled slightly.</p><p>“Sorry, I just… I’d like to know your name if you want to share it that is.”</p><p>“I… I really would like that.”</p><p>You both sat there for a few more minutes, you didn’t want to push him. After all, you were pretty sure some other people knew Mando’s name, like Cara and Greef. But you hadn’t gotten the impression that it had been… willingly given to them from what you had gleaned. They still never used his true name.</p><p>It seemed off-limits, just like it felt off-limits to know if Mando had kind eyes like you liked to think he did, or what the shape of his nose was, or the line where his jaw and neck connected. It was secret, profoundly intimate. So you would wait as long as he needed, but you couldn’t help but notice as he put one hand by yours on the floor. </p><p>As you waited, the child, having found the ball returned to you both. He cooed in pleasure at finding you both together, coming to show off the silver ball with its painted blue circle on the top.</p><p>“Vor entye, ad'ika,” Din said as the child pressed the ball into one of Din’s palms. The orange tips of his gloves were ever gentle with the adorable boy’s hands.</p><p>You both got babbled at before the tiny claws started to explore the leather wrappings of Mando’s boots.</p><p>“It’s Din,” he said softly as he let you carefully place your hand on top of his.<br/>His gloved hand turned, moving slowly, carefully, so he didn’t knock your hand away until he was able to entwine his fingers with yours.</p><p>“My name is Din Djarin,” he repeated, more sure of himself this time.</p><p>You smiled up into the visor, giving his hand the smallest squeeze as the kid clambered on both your legs like you had become his own personal gym.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you, Din Djarin.”</p><p>~*~*~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Translations<br/>Cuyir jate par cuun cabur'ika, ad’ika - Be good for our little guardian, little one<br/>Cyare - beloved<br/>Vor entye, ad'ika - thank you, little one</p></blockquote></div></div>
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